Sparky has decided to write his own outdoor column called “Sparky’s Tip of the Week”. He hopes you enjoy some of his insights.

GPS Receivers

GPS Receivers are high tech equipment commonly used in car, boats, cell phones and hand held units. The value of the GPS Receivers is to give real time location within 10 feet 95% of the time using a network of 24 orbiting satellite. In urban area, GPS units are usually very functional.

You can choose from many different models of GPS Receivers. They can be loaded with either road maps or topographical maps or both. If you are going off-trail, topographical maps are recommended.

Here is some common features on GPS Receivers

Tracking waypoints & routes

Built in memory

Camera & video

Water resistance

Barometric altimeter

Wireless communication

Tracker/Satellite messaging units

Adding additional maps

When choosing a GPS Receivers you must consider what your main purpose is; off-trail or road or both.

Sparky’s recommendations: If you have been reading Sparky’s recommendations, you know by now to stay away for all the bells & whistles. Get a unit that will do exactly what you want to do. That is to get you from point A to B and back again. Make sure it is loaded with road & topographical maps of where you want to go. Units are generally not preloaded with topographical maps. If you are a road hunter, you may not need topographical maps.

The best thing about GPS Receivers is you still need a map and compass. Yup! That’s right. If you batteries fail or you are unable to get a signal because of tree cover, sunspot interference or you are at the bottom of a canyon, what good are GPS Receivers? You are probably going to have to take a class to learn how to best use your GPS Receivers units.

Bottom line is if you like playing with new technology, get one of these units. If you want to find your way around the wood and make it back home, stick with the reliable analog baseplate compass. Take a map & compass class; it will be much more useful. For more info on compasses, see Sparky’s Tip of the Week #1.

Additional note: Many smart phones include GPS apps but these do not offer the same mapping and route planning capabilities as entry-level GPS Receivers.

Sparky has decided to write his own outdoor column called “Sparky’s Tip of the Week”. He hopes you enjoy some of his insights.

Radios for the forest.

When going out into the forest with a group (more than one person) mushroom hunting, a radio is very helpful. Being able to communicate easily saves your vocal cords from having to yell “Hey, I just found the Mother lode!!!” Instead, you can say “Code 4” which means ‘Hey, I just found the Mother lode!!!’. It is much easier. So what do you look for when you purchase a two-way radio? Here are some questions to ask:

Does it have?

Waterproofness

Headset Jack

Battery life

Type of battery

Combo w/GPS

Combo w/weather channel

Range (i.e. Watts)

Type of channels GMRS or FRS

Number of channels

Belt clips

Repeater function

Weight

Sparky’s recommendations: Let see, you go out with your main squeeze hunting mushrooms and she is hunting in the next county so Sparky recommends you get a radio with 100-mile range. Let us get real here folks, you might get ¼ mile or so away from someone so why get something you can bounce signals off the moon.

A FRS radio has up to a stated 2 mile range (do not believe it, it is more like 1/2 mile). This is usually adequate.A radio with FRS channel does not require a special FCC license.

If however, you do not plan to stay together or you are into POWER, it is recommended to get a more powerful 2 to 5 watt radio with a stated range up to 36+ miles(perhaps 5 miles). A GMRS radio with longer range requires a FCC license. Visit www.fcc.gov for more information on licensing (Form 605). Current cost for license is $85.

Here is the reality about radio’s. Terrain, weather and obstruction are going to have a bigger influence on reception than anything else does. Those manufacturer’s mileages are based upon talking with a clear line of sight with no interferences. If you are in the woods, mountains, trees, rock and even your body are all going to interfere.

Waterproofness is nice but Sparky make me keep my radio inside my jacket on a lanyard. I have not had a problem.

I like rechargeable batteries because I am cheap and it is a good green alternative. Nevertheless, I always carry extra alkaline batteries as backup.

As for the other features, let you budget rule. Having a weather channel is fine if you are planning a multi-day venture. You should be checking the weather before you head out. Remember a smart phone is often not effective in the forest, unless you are in a urban forest. Where Sparky goes there is usually no cell phone coverage. This is why a good 2-way radio is essential.

Sparky has decided to write his own outdoor column called “Sparky’s Tip of the Week”. He hopes you enjoy some of his insights.

What kind of whistle do I need?

Good question! If you are heading out to the forest, you must have a whistle. Traditionally, the most common whistle is the pea whistle;

Pea Whistle

you know the one with the little pea inside the whistle. However, you want the loudest whistle available, and one that is heard over a long distance. I have two recommendations; both can be purchased from REI either in their store or on their website at www.rei.com.

Sparky recommendations: Sparky make me carry both of these whistles whenever I am in the forest. If I am separated from the group or get into trouble, the whistle is to call for help. Again, purchase a single function whistle. Expect to pay $4-5 each.

Sparky has decided to write his own outdoor column called “Sparky’s Tip of the Week”. He hopes you enjoy some of his insights

Sparky’s Tip of the Week #1 – Compasses

If you are heading off to the forest without a guide, you need a good compass—your life may depend on it. Walking through the forest is not the same as walking down the street in a city. There are no signposts and often no trails. If it is cloudy or raining, direction becomes difficult to impossible to figure out. Your only means of direction is using your compass. Wear your compass on a lanyard around your neck so it is easy to find and use. Lanyards are easy to find at an outdoor store.

Compass—What to look for:

Bezel degree intervals—compasses with needle use a magnetized needle that aligns with the earth’s magnetic field. The bezel outer ring is mark in degrees from 0 °-360 ° degrees.

Liquid filled—for a steady needle to allow precise compass readings.

There are other optional features to get with your compass depending upon your budget.

Declination adjustment

Ruler

Map scales

Luminous needle and bezel ring

Clinometers

Sighting mirror

Global needle—for use in the Southern Hemisphere

Compass—What you do not need:

Combination compasses with whistle and mirrors or any other accessory are useless – unless you want to explore your fenced backyard. These compasses are too small to be practicable and the whistles are not loud enough to hear unless you are standing next to the person who is blowing it. If you want a compass and whistle, purchase them separately and get good quality. Your life may depend upon them.

What do you really need?

Sparky says you need a big enough baseplate compass that has large readable Bezel degree intervals and a directional arrow. Liquid filled is a bonus. All the other option, bell & whistles are wonderful but not necessary. My Boy Scout compass that I have used for over 50 years is not liquid filled and works great. Expect to pay $14 and up. Any good outdoor store like REI, Cabella’s, L. L. Bean

Baseplate Compass

Take a basic navigation class, too. Having a compass on you will do you no good if you do not know how to use it. You are just as lost as if you did not have one. In addition, you can get your 15 minutes of fame on local TV News when the Search & Rescue people have to find you.

1. Weather—what has the weather been like? Warm, cool, rainy or dry will encourage or discourage fungi mycelium growth. What I look for is a wet period followed by a warm, dry weather spell. A good website for weather is: Weather Underground http://www.wunderground.com/

2. Habitat—morel mushrooms they can grow virtually anywhere. They can grow solitary, in groups, scattered along the edge of woods, in burns, in urban areas, in bare soil, intermixed with groundcovers, along railroad tracks, orchards, paths, under leaves, under logs, under brush piles, in grassy areas, in shade, in sun, in part shade. You get the idea! Pretty much wherever they darn well please.

Morel habitat

3. Identification of true morel—true morels have hollow cap and stem with the cap intergrown with the stem. If they have solid like or cottony pith centers in the stem, or the cap is not attached to the stem, or no stem they can be Verpa, Gyromitra or Hevella. It is generally not recommended to eat these genera. If eaten it should be done with caution. They are, in any case, much less tasty than true morels (Morchella)

After you have gone into the woods, worked and sweated all day locating your treasured morel mushrooms, what are you going to do with them? Here are three suggestions of what to do with your morels:

1. You are probably not going to like morels, so I will volunteer to take these unwanted orphans off your hands. In my heart of hearts, I want to help you through this distressing time. Donations are willingly and gratefully accepted.

2. So, you did not fall for that one. Try drying them so you can rehydrate them next autumn when morel season is a dream and you want to relive your adventure tour with Steve on Mt. Hood. Use a dehydrator to dry your morels and store them in an airtight container until you are ready to use them. Then simply take a handful of dried mushroom, put into a bowl of lukewarm water until re-hydrated and then cook. On a serious note: Morels need to be thoroughly cooked before eating. Never eat wild mushrooms raw.

3. My favorite way to use morels is in an omelet or scrambled eggs. As noted above, cook morel first before adding to dishes.

This highly controversial and seldom discussed subject is not often seen in print. Using dogs or any other animals to find fungi is frequently touted as a green, sustainable, environmentally acceptable way of hunting.

Sparky not really interested looking for Morels

Now my dog, Sparky is a border collie. Border collies are among the smartest breed of dogs. However, even with an IQ of about a 3-4 year old human, he is still looking for truffles. There must be something about the scent of morels Sparky does not find attractive. Frankly, I have almost given up hope he will find even one morel unless he sits on one. Perhaps, if I let him sleep with the morels, he will start dreaming of them as I do. And I do often dream of hunting morel mushrooms on Mt. Hood.

Sparky trying hard to please his master

In conclusion, using a dog is an excellent way to sustainably forage for morels (because you will never find them that way). If you want to collect morel mushrooms ethically and sustainably, call Steve at tourwithsteve.com and join one of our foraging tours into the wilds of Mt Hood.

Morel mushrooms are a highly sought fungi by people, other animals and insects. The esteem for these little fungi reaches back through history and beyond. They are fun to hunt and find. They do, however, take a trained eye to locate these most elusive of mushrooms.

10 morels

Technically, Morels or Morchellaceae is a small family incorporating three genera Morchella, Verpa and Disciotis. Of the three, Morchella is highly desirable and most sought after. Verpa is often found but is less desirable as some people experience gastric distress after eating. Disciotis is easily confused with Peziza and Discina, which may or may not be edible.